Sheet-feeding mechanism



dan. 1, 1929.

l 1,697,752 l A. BROADMEYER SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 5, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet vINVEA/Tok. JZZberi roadlmeye'r,

" ////'l ATTORNEY.

Jan. 1, 1929. 1,697,752

A. BROADMEYER `SHEET FEEDING MEQHNISM Filed Aug. s, 1927 4 sheets-sheet INVENTOR. Jllber roadmeyer,

A TTORNE Y.

Jan. 1, 1929.

A 1,697,752 A. BROADMEYER SHEET FEEDING MEcHANIsM Filed Aug. 5, 1927 l 4 sheets-sheet 3- lber oadizeyf,

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 1, 1929.

UNITED STATES,

PATENT oFF1CE.

ALBERT BROADMEYEB, OF HARRISBRG, PENNSYLVANIA., ASSIGNOR T0 THE W. 0. HICKOK MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A. COR- PORATION OF FENNSYLVANIA.

SHEET-FEEDING MECHANISM.

Application led August 3, 1927. Serial No. 210,378.

In the feeding of paper sheets from a pile or mass, sheets are apt to adhere to each other due to physical causes of various kinds, and consequently there is constant possibility of two sheets being fed at once.

The ,primaryf object is to provide means of a novel and effective character for lessening Such a defective operation.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pile feeder equippedv with the novel mechanism,A

Figure 2 is a topv plan view of the same,

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the related mechanisms and their connections and controlling'means,

Figure 4 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the rotary suction feed roller and one of the front lifting mechanisms.

Figure 5 is a view in elevation o`f the controlling valve mechanism,

Figure 6 isV an end view of the same,

Figure 7 is a sectional view on the line y7--7 of Figure 6, f

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view through one of the front lifters,

Figure 9 is a bottom plan view of the lifter head,

Figure 10 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of one of the blast nozzles,

Figure 11 is a bottom plan viewl of the same,

Figure 12 is a top plan view of the supporting brackets for the-suction head and last nozzle. l

The invention is shown appliedto a pile feeder of well-known form, involving a frame 13, in which is a vertically movablel table 14 that Supports a pile of sheets 15 to be fed. Any desired form of mechanism may be Aemployed for automatically elevating the table as the sheets are removed therefrom. The feeding means in the present embodiment consists of a suction roller 16 which may be of the type shown in my Patent No. 1,494,303, May 13, 1924. This suction roller as shown in Figure'2 islocated over the rear end of the table 14.

For the purpose of creating suction in the roller 16 a suctlon pump 17 is employed. The

intake 18 of this pump connected by a conduit 19 with the depending nipple 20 of a horizontally disposed valve casing 21.' The said casing has an upstanding nipple 22 that `is connected by a pipe 23 with the suction 1 roller 16. As shown particularly in Figure s 7, the nipples 2O and 22 are ,directly opposite each other, and the passageway therethroughl 1s intersected by a transverse valve chamber 24 1n which is a reciprocatory plunger valve 25 having an annular oove 26 that is movable into and out of register with .the passageway and affords communication between the nipples 2O and 22. Obviously therefore when the valve is in the position shown .in Figure 7, communication will be established between theintake 18 ofthe pump 17 and the suctionv roller so that suction will be created in saidl roller. When the valve is moved to the left -sufficiently to cause the groove 26 tomo-ve out of register with the passageway, com- 'i the arm 28 and consequently of said valve 25,.

In order to vary the amount of vacuum in` the conduit'23 and the suction roller 16, a

covered by a rot-ary valve 30. This mechanism is shown in detail in my prior Patent, No. 1,408,688, Mar. 7, 1922.

The end of the valve casing 21 opposite` to that from which the valve 25 projects, has mounted thereon an elbow 31 provided with a relief port 32 controlled by a rotary valve disk 33. This elbow terminates in a T-nipple vent 29y is provided that can be more or less 34, from which lead branch conduits 35. l

side of the tubular-portion, ,is movable into and out of communication with the interior of the lower nipple 20. Consequentl i when vvthe valve25 is moved Ito the left Su ciently to move the port 38 into communication wit the nipple 20, the intake 18 of the pump 17 '39 carrying at their front ends adjustable brackets 40. Each --of said brackets is provided with a clamping collar 41, in which is secured a vertical cylinder 42, to the upper.

end of which a conduit branch is connected. In each cylinder 42 is a piston 43, having a tubular piston rod 44 that extends through the lower end of the cylinder 42, and has on its lower end a hollow head 45 provided in its lower flat face with one or more suction ports 46. These ports are thus in communication with the upper portion of the cylinder 42 above the piston 43. Suitably secured to the brackets `are vertical pipes 47 that are-located in advance of the cylinders 42 and terminate at their lower ends in rearwardly disposed blast nozzles 48. The

upper ends of the tubes or pipes 47 are con-l neet-ed by conduits 49 with a T-coupling 50, to which is connected a flexible hose 51 that is connected to the outlet of the pump 17 or to some other suitable source of air under pressure.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: A pile of paper sheets 15 is placed on the table 14 and the brackets 40 are adjusted, so that the heads will rest upon the front corners of the pile, and therefore upon the corners of the uppermost sheet. The blast nozzles 48 are preferably disposed in advance of the same, as shown particularly in Figure 4. -If now the feeder is set in operation, the

roller 16 and the cam 27 `will be constantly rotated. The result is that the valve 25 will be intermittently shifted. When the valve `moves to its extreme left hand position, the

port 38 will bebroughtv into communication with the lower nipple 20 and the suction roller will be cut oif from communication with the intake of the pump. When the port 38 is in communication with the nipple 20, a partial vacuum will be established in the conduits 35. Therefore as will be clear by reference to Figure 8, with the heads 45 resting on the uppermost front corners of the sheet, this vacuum will cause the corners of said sheet t0 close the ports 46 and be attached to said head. The pistons 43 "under the action of the vacuum, or rather because ofthe unbalanced pressure of air below them, will cause said said roller is rotating, will be moved from the pile and on to a conveyor or other mechanism which will carry it away. This alternate action will of course be repeated so that the front en d of each sheet will be first lifted from the pile, then floated, and while floating `will be caught by the suction roller and fed from the apparatus. r

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and man)T advant-ages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilledv in the art, without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

1. In apparatus of thecharacter set forth, the combination -with a support for sheets to be fed, ofmeans engaged with the sheets at one point for feeding them from the support, a cylinder overhanging the sheet support, means for fixedly supporting the cylinder, a piston in the cylinder having a depending tubu'lar rod and head provided in its underside with a suction portthat has communication with the upper end of the cylinder, said head being adapted to rest on the topmost sheet, means for creating suction in` the upper end of the cylinder to move the pisi ton and create suction through the port to thereby elevate a sheet with the head, a nozzle for delivering a blast of air beneath the lifted sheet, and means 'for supplying ,air under pressure to the nozzle.

2. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination'with a support for sheets to be fed, of a suction feeder for feeding the topmost sheets successively from the support, a suction operated sheet elevating device for elevating the'topmost sheets,` a suction pump having. an intake, conduits connecting the suction feeder and the sheet elevating device with the pump intake, and a'valve for efecting communication alternately between the pump and feeder and between the pump and elevating device.

3. in apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with a support for sheets to be fed, of a suction feeder for feeding the topmost sheets successivelyn from the support, a suction operated sheet elevating depistons to rise, and thus elevate the front end vice for elevating the topmost sheets, a sucofvthe sheet, .allowing the blasts of air from the nozzles 48 to pass beneath the sheet and Hout the sheet above the pile. The movement of the cam 27 will now shift the valveI to the right, cutting 0H communication be-.

' tween the intake 18 of the pump 17 and the tion pump having an intake, conduits connectin the suction feeder and the sheet elevating device with the pump intake, a valve for eecting communication alternately between the pump and feeder and between theA pump and elevating device, and means for periodically operating the valve.

. 4. ln apparatus of the character set forth,

the combination with a table for support.

ing a pile of sheets, of a rotary suction roller above the rearend of the table for successively feeding sheets therefrom, a cylinder suspended over the front end of the table, a plunger piston in the cylinder having a suc- 5 tion port through its lower end opening into the cylinder, a suction pump, a valve casing having communication with the intake of 

